Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies 2059 Syllabus

Pakistan Studies 2059 syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Pakistan Studies 2059 in Cambridge O Level, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   The Emergence of Pakistan (History and Culture)

   4 topics

   • Cultural and Religious Background of the Subcontinent
   • The War of Independence 1857
   • The Pakistan Movement
   • The Road to Partition
2. 2

   Nationhood 1947 to 1999

   4 topics

   • Problems at Independence
   • Constitutional and Political Developments
   • Military Governments and Democratic Eras
   • The Separation of East Pakistan
3. 3

   The Land and Climate of Pakistan

   3 topics

   • Topography and Regions
   • Climate and Weather
   • Natural Resources and Hazards
4. 4

   Agriculture and Industry

   3 topics

   • Farming and Irrigation
   • Industry and Manufacturing
   • Power and Energy Resources
5. 5

   Trade, Transport and Population

   3 topics

   • Trade and Communications
   • Transport Networks
   • Population and Human Resources

Pakistan Studies 2059 flashcards for Cambridge O Level

25 of 51 cards from the Pakistan Studies 2059 deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which three major religions originated in the Indian Subcontinent before the arrival of Islam?

   Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism (along with Sikhism, which emerged later in the 15th century).

2. What is the caste system in Hindu society, and what are its four main varnas?

   A rigid social hierarchy dividing people by birth into four varnas: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors/rulers), Vaishyas (traders/farmers), and Shudras (labourers), with 'untouchables' below all castes.

3. How did Islam first arrive and spread in the Subcontinent?

   Through Arab traders, the conquest of Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasim (711 CE), later Muslim invaders (e.g. Mahmud of Ghazni), and the work of Sufi saints who won converts through preaching.

4. Who was Shah Wali Ullah and why was he significant?

   An 18th-century Islamic scholar/reformer who sought to revive Islam in the Subcontinent, translated the Qur'an into Persian, and stressed unity among Muslims; he invited Ahmad Shah Abdali to defeat the Marathas.

5. What was the contribution of Syed Ahmad Barelvi (the Jihad Movement)?

   He led a jihad movement (early 1800s) to free Muslims from Sikh rule in the Punjab/NWFP, aiming to establish an Islamic state; he was killed at the Battle of Balakot in 1831.

6. What was the Faraizi Movement and who founded it?

   A reform movement founded by Haji Shariat Ullah in Bengal, focusing on the religious duties (faraiz) of Muslims and opposing Hindu landlords and British exploitation of Muslim peasants.

7. In which year did the War of Independence (Indian Mutiny) begin, and where?

   1857, beginning with the uprising of sepoys at Meerut on 10 May 1857.

8. What was the immediate cause of the War of Independence in 1857?

   The introduction of the Enfield rifle whose cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat, offending both Hindus (cow sacred) and Muslims (pig forbidden); soldiers had to bite the cartridges.

9. Name three long-term causes of the War of Independence 1857.

   Religious interference by missionaries, the Doctrine of Lapse annexing Indian states, economic exploitation/decline of local industry, and resentment over the loss of power by Indian princes.

10. What was the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Lord Dalhousie?

    A policy allowing the British to annex any princely state whose ruler died without a natural male heir, refusing to recognise adopted heirs.

11. Who was made the symbolic leader of the 1857 uprising, and what happened to him?

    Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last Mughal emperor; after the revolt was crushed he was exiled to Rangoon (Burma), ending the Mughal dynasty.

12. List three reasons the War of Independence 1857 failed.

    Lack of unity/coordination among rebels, no common leader or aim, British military and technological superiority, and many Indian princes remained loyal to the British.

13. What major political change resulted from the War of Independence 1857?

    The East India Company's rule ended; India came under direct British Crown control (the British Raj) by the Government of India Act 1858, with a Viceroy representing the Crown.

14. Who founded the Aligarh Movement and what was its main aim?

    Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; its aim was to improve Muslims' position through modern Western and scientific education while keeping their religious identity, reconciling Muslims with British rule.

15. What institution did Sir Syed Ahmad Khan establish in 1875?

    The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh, later upgraded to Aligarh Muslim University.

16. What was the Two-Nation Theory?

    The idea that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations with distinct religions, cultures, languages and customs, and therefore Muslims needed a separate homeland.

17. When was the Indian National Congress founded and by whom?

    1885, founded with the help of A.O. Hume (a retired British civil servant) to give educated Indians a political voice.

18. What was the Simla Deputation of 1906 and what did it demand?

    A delegation of Muslim leaders led by the Aga Khan that met Viceroy Lord Minto, demanding separate electorates and weighted representation for Muslims.

19. When and where was the All-India Muslim League founded?

    December 1906 at Dhaka (Dacca), to protect and promote the political rights and interests of Muslims of India.

20. What did the Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909) grant Muslims?

    Separate electorates for Muslims, allowing them to elect their own representatives, and an increase in the number of elected members on legislative councils.

21. What was the Lucknow Pact of 1916?

    An agreement between the Muslim League and Congress in which Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims; it marked a high point of Hindu-Muslim cooperation.

22. What was the Khilafat Movement (1919-1924)?

    A movement by Indian Muslims to pressure Britain to preserve the Ottoman Caliphate (Khilafat) after World War I; led by the Ali Brothers, it collapsed when Turkey abolished the Caliphate in 1924.

23. What were Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929)?

    A set of constitutional demands by Jinnah safeguarding Muslim rights, including a federal system, provincial autonomy, separate electorates, and one-third representation for Muslims in the central legislature.

24. Who delivered the Allahabad Address in 1930 and what did it propose?

    Allama Muhammad Iqbal; he proposed a consolidated Muslim state in the north-west of India (Punjab, NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan), often seen as the intellectual basis of Pakistan.

25. Who coined the name 'Pakistan' and in which document?

    Choudhry Rahmat Ali, in his 1933 pamphlet 'Now or Never'; the name stood for Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan.

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